Some Rules Are Made to Be Broken
by thatcoolkids96
Summary: Protective custody can be boring as hell. Luckily, Hawkeye manages to bring company to keep her warm while hiding in the north from a serial killer bent on revenge. Havocai One-shot


**Some Rules Are Made to be Broken**

Riza pinched the bridge of her nose attempting to stave off her growing irritation. This argument had been going on for over an hour. The worst part was the Colonel was basically arguing with himself at this point. She couldn't get a word in edgewise.

She felt her head was going to explode from the headache this unnecessary argument was giving her. She could take care of her damn self. She'd proven it time and again. She by no means wanted to be put into protective custody but if it was the only way to shut the Colonel up…

"FINE! Fine Roy. I'll take some time off." Hawkeye finally snapped.

The Colonel almost fell over.

"What? You'll what?" Roy asked.

"If it means you'll stop yelling. I'll stay home for a week or something." She shrugged.

"Hawkeye, staying home for a week isn't good enough. A psychopathic serial killer is trying to KILL you!" He bellowed.

"I've got a gun, sir." Riza sighed.

"So did many of his victims. Please Hawkeye; I want you to take this seriously. Until now he's been playing games with us but he's made it very clear his obsession with you. I will not let him get you. I will not let you be one of his victims. Do you understand me?" Roy shouted.

Riza couldn't help but feel a little guilty. The Colonel was fairly shaking at this point. She wasn't sure if it was rage or fear that wracked his body, in truth, it was probably a combination of both. The victims who had been turning up around Central were gruesome. Each case was the same, a violent rape followed by an even more violent death. Some of the bodies had been so horrifically mutilated even she had felt sick to her stomach.

Issendai Ren was responsible for each violent scene. It frustrated her to know this man was on the loose. He'd been captured once before and spent the last three years sitting in prison awaiting his execution. It was still unclear how he'd escaped and at this point it hardly seemed to matter. All he wanted was revenge.

Riza had to repress a shudder. She refused to let this man get to her. During his first killing spree, he'd succeeded in taking her hostage. She ground her teeth irritated at the memory of slipping up and letting herself be captured. Then again, her capture had been his downfall. Colonel Mustang had rained down hell fire until every available unit was involved in the search and rescue mission.

The Colonel had expressed his concern for her the first time around since Ren favored killing blond teenage girls. Riza had fought him pointing out that she was hardly a teenager. She knew that Roy blamed himself for not sending her away the first time; then, she wouldn't have been captured. She was sure that was why he was so insistent now that she go away.

She was the one that got away and Ren had made it clear he refused to go to his death without taking her out first. He was playing a game of cat and mouse with them now. He was leaving clues with the bodies as to who his next victim would be and yet they never seemed to be able to stop him or catch up with him. Riza knew her unit was getting scared.

Her name had been carved into the skin of more than one young girl. Recent photos of her around central were often strewn about the crime scene. Ren had gone so far as the dress his last victim in a military uniform. It chilled her to the bone but she still thought it unnecessary of Roy to order three warrant officers be with her at all times. Her apartment was more heavily guarded than the Fuhrer's home at this point. She was scared yes but this was border line ridiculous. Ren hadn't made a move on her yet and running away probably wouldn't help. But Ren had gotten to Roy. The young blond girl in the military uniform had unnerved him and he wasn't going to stop shouting until she was hidden safely far, far away.

"I understand, sir. I just don't know that any of this will help. I have my own SWOT team and he's still taking photos of me. If I stay in Central I have home turf in the event of trouble. If I go away, he may follow. That's an unnecessary danger to the girls in that area." Riza replied.

"He won't follow you and if he does there is no way we won't catch him in the process. This will be a well thought out cover. You'll change identities at least seven times on your way to your destination which I'm not even going to say right now because it changes every second. Get packed. You leave tomorrow." Roy ordered.

"Tomorrow?" Riza repeated in shock.

"Yes, tomorrow." Roy said, thumping his fist on the table determinedly.

"What if I had refused to go?" She argued.

"We would have drugged you and sent you anyway. Go get packed, lieutenant." Roy smiled.

"You're unbelievable." She muttered.

"Have a good night." Roy grinned, waving to her.

"We're not done here." She snapped.

"Really? What's there left to discuss?"

"Well, I'd like to know some details, like a general location so I know what to pack."

"If you don't have the right clothes, we'll provide them. Done now?"

"Who's going with me?" She asked.

"The men will rotate." Roy shrugged.

"For how long and how will I know who to trust if they keep rotating? This is insane." Riza argued.

"Until we catch him. You cannot be here until he is no longer a threat to you." Roy said forcefully.

"That could be months. I hope it's not months but that could be. Roy don't you see how ridiculous this is. What the hell am I going to do for months by myself with a rotation of guards?"

"I don't know. Take up a hobby."Roy suggested.

"I want a constant."

"You can't…"

"Roy! That's not asking much. At least give me someone to talk to. Someone who will keep me informed." She tried to reason.

"No, no information, when information flows, your location flows, no that's not secure."

"I need to know I have at least one good shot with me." Riza replied stubbornly.

"I will get you the best snipers at all times."

"Roy." She growled.

"Fine! Fine, pick a sniper. We'll have to come up with seven more identities for your companion but if that will get you to go…"

"Thank you." She said tersely.

"Who do you want?" Roy snapped.

"What?" She frowned.

"Who do you to go with you?" Roy repeated.

"I have to choose now? I need time to review our last evaluations. I can't possibly…" She started.

"Choose now or not at all. We don't have time for reviewing files. You know most of the other snipers. Pick one; we'll work up the papers tonight."

"Um…Havoc."

"What?"

"Havoc, I choose Havoc. I know him well and he's almost as good a shot as me." She explained.

Roy stared at her for a second and then shrugged. It was true. He'd been lucky enough to receive two of the military's top snipers in his unit. Protecting Hawkeye was the only thing keeping Havoc from moping over the loss of his last girlfriend so what better way to keep him focused?

"Fine. Take Havoc."

--

"Sorry."

Havoc's face crinkled into a frown of confusion. It was the first word Hawkeye had spoken all day.

"For what?" He asked.

"Getting you mixed up in all this. You were the first person that came to mind. I'm sure spending the last 72 hours as a schizophrenic isn't your idea of fun." She said.

"I dunno…it's the closest to espionage work I've ever gotten to do. I'm feeling kind of cool." He joked.

Riza couldn't help but smile. Thankfully, Jean's sense of humor hadn't run out over the course of the last three days. They'd been through so many outfit changes, changes of location, and changes of names that Riza almost didn't even know who she was any more. At one point she'd even been disguised as a man.

"I feel this is a tad ridiculous." She commented.

"At least it all ends tonight. We just have to make it to this last location and then no more wigs and itchy fake moustaches. I'm hoping for a feather bed. I could sleep for the next month and be happy." Jean grinned.

"Well I'm glad I picked a vigilant friend to watch out for me." She smirked.

"I've got the ears of fox and cat like reflexes. Just let someone try to sneak past me and abduct my wifey." Jean laughed.

"Are you really going to call me wifey for the next month?" She cringed.

"I could just call you…" He paused to glance at the alias she'd been given. "Margery."

"Wifey is infinitely better. Why is it that you get to keep your name?" She asked.

"I don't. I'm not Jean, I'm John. I'm an American." Jean replied.

She rolled her eyes. "My mistake, John."

--

She was pacing. It was insane. After 84 hours with no rest, she ought to be sleeping. She ought to be completely dead to the world but sleep refused to come to her. She hated feeling useless. She hated not knowing what was going on. But most of all, she hated that it was so damn cold.

The north. They were somewhere in the deep north, a location so remote even they had no idea where they were. They were in a cabin. They were surrounded by pretty much nothing and there was no way anyone was getting in here without being seen or leaving tracks. She felt badly for the guards outside. They had little to no protection from the freezing wind and they were staying in tents. She'd tried to bring them hot chocolate but had been yelled at to stay indoors with the shutters closed.

'_I am going to go crazy if I have to stay here for a month…provided I don't freeze to death first.'_ Hawkeye thought. She was definitely regretting giving Havoc the room with the fire place. When they had first arrived she hadn't been at all concerned with the cold but now that it was night and she'd exhausted everything activity there was to do in the cabin she was craving sleep but the cold seeping in wasn't allowing her any form of comfort.

Tiptoeing to his door, Hawkeye knocked lightly. He'd been sleeping most of the day perhaps he was ready to get up and she could sleep next to the fire. She got no response. _'Ears like a fox, eh.'_ Quietly, she cracked open the door and poked her head inside.

She couldn't help but feel slightly irritated the moment she saw him. He was dead to the world, snoring lightly; arms splay across the bed, shirtless, and with his blanket slipping off of his sleeping form. It was irritating knowing that he could sleep so easily, no shivering and shaking, not waking because his blanket was falling off. Of course, he was 6'9" and more than twice her weight so the cold probably wasn't bothering him as much.

"Jean." She whispered, tiptoeing to his bedside.

He continued to sleep undisturbed.

"Jean." She whispered again, flicking his nose.

He scrunched up his nose for a moment and he waved a hand before his face as if swatting away a fly before rolling onto his side and continuing to sleep.

"Oh for heaven's sake." She sighed. "JEAN."

She gripped his shoulder prepared to shake but paused. His skin was surprisingly warm. _'How on earth can he be warm?'_ She glanced at the dying embers of the fire that had been lit earlier. It wasn't providing that much heat now and yet he was still warm. She couldn't help but marvel at the warmth of his skin. She slid her hand slowly down his arm, flattening her palm against the hard muscles. She leaned in close lining her arm up along his. A grin brightened her face, feeling the warmth of his skin against her cold skin.

She bit her lip, slightly ashamed at the sudden urge to climb into bed with him. A heavy sigh escaped her. _'Stupid Roy.'_ If he'd just given her a hit as to where they were going she would have packed warmer clothes. It was the end of summer everywhere else. She hadn't anticipated being sent north. The proper attire that Roy had promised her would arrive in a few days once the area was declared secure. She'd asked earlier how the hell it wasn't secure. They'd see Ren coming from miles away but she'd been told to be patient and sit by the fire until warmer clothes were provided.

Her eyes swept over Jean's sleeping form. _'It's not like anyone has to know. I'll wake up early and sneak away. It's not doing anything wrong. Definitely not fraternization.'_ She tapped her foot lightly scrolling through the pros and cons of her idea.

Deciding there was no real harm in joining him; she removed her shoes and crawled onto the bed beside his sleeping form. Lying down next to him, she pressed her back to his chest and pulled his arms around her as well as pulling his blanket over the both of them. She smiled contently at the warm embrace. It wasn't long before her heavy eyelids closed and sleep claimed her.

--

"…um…hey…Margery?" Havoc whispered, softly prodding Hawkeye's shoulder.

To say he was confused was definitely an understatement. He'd gone to bed alone but had woken with Hawkeye securely wrapped around him. He'd managed to extract himself from her hold but he couldn't resist at least trying to ask.

"Er…Marge…dear…" Havoc tried again.

"Shut up and go back to sleep." Was Hawkeye's muffled reply.

"I thought you were a morning person." He laughed.

"84 hours, no sleep…good night." She mumbled into the pillows.

"Do you want breakfast?" He asked.

"No."

"Then I'll eat by myself." He said.

"'Kay."

Havoc grinned. He hadn't gotten an explanation as to why she was in his bed but in the long run it really wasn't that important. Getting up quietly, he decided a long shower was in order and then he'd start breakfast. Maybe then she would be more receptive to homemade pancakes and the sweet smell of bacon.

--

The next night, she was pacing again. Havoc hadn't complained about her crawling into bed with him last night so why should she be allowed to today. Would that be weird two nights in a row? Perhaps she should explain her reasoning to him? Was he even awake?

She knocked lightly on his door. There was no response. She crept inside.

"Jean?" She whispered.

"Yeah?"

"Why didn't you answer the door?" She snapped.

"It's cold." He laughed.

She stood silently for a moment debating her next move.

"You getting in?" He asked.

"What?" She asked, snapped out of her thoughts.

"Are you getting into bed?" He repeated.

"Would that be weird?" She hesitated.

"Nope."

"Really?"

"It's cold and your little 125 lbs frame isn't really built for insulation." He shrugged.

She breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm glad you understand."

"That's what I'm here for." He said, lifting his arm as she crawled in next to him.

"Thanks."

"Warm enough?" He asked, after wrapping his arms securely around her.

"Mmhmm."

"Good."

"Goodnight."

"Night."

She felt it ought to be weirder, sleeping with him in such an intimate way but they were both fully clothed and responsible adults. She bit her lip. This had to on the borderline of crossing the fraternization rules.

"Go to sleep, wifey."

She turned her head to face him with a frown. "How did you..?"

"I can tell when you're mind's still whirling away."

She laughed softly. Sometimes she forgot how observant Havoc could be. They'd worked together for so long there was no way he couldn't know her tendencies by now. Pushing away her worries about the rules, she slept.

--

The next morning had been more awkward than the first since she was the first to wake. Her shirt had been scrunched up to just below her chest from all the movement in their sleep. Thus, Jean's arm was wrapped around her bare stomach, his hand resting dangerously close to her right breast. His face was pressed to her neck and his left leg between her legs brought them much closer together than their first night. If waking in this position hadn't been awkward enough, a certain morning greeting had left them both blushing.

"Er…sorry, Hawkeye…men…ya'know…um…" Havoc was blushing and stuttering as he put distance between them. He made a mental note to set an alarm on his watch so he'd always wake first.

"It's fine. It's…morning and, yeah…I'm going to go shower…in my room." Hawkeye replied, sliding off the bed and pulling down her shirt.

The next two mornings had been the same since Havoc was in the habit of sleeping through his alarm. After that, they'd silently agreed to just accept the facts of life.

They had been there nearly a week. Warmer clothes had arrived for Hawkeye the night before but their room choice hadn't differed.

Again, Hawkeye felt a bit of remorse for what she was sure was breaking the rules at this point. Sleeping together was no longer any form of necessity and the cuddling really had no military benefit. Her increasing fascination with companion's body was definitely against the rules. She was getting into the habit of watching him sleep for a while after she woke up. She was captivated by the rise and fall of his chest with each deep breath. She found it adorable how much sleep softened his face from a man to a boy. She loved to feel his muscles tighten when her fingertips moved gently over them.

Her quest for warmth was rapidly turning into something else. Fortunately, it wasn't just on her part. Her soft skin begged him to explore. In the back of his mind, Havoc wondered if any other man had ever had the chance to feel the softness of her skin, to breathe in the sweetness of her sent, to play with the silkiness of her hair. He wasn't certain but he liked to think he was the only one. The best part of these moments was making her blush. It was something he'd never seen her do before. She was usually so calm, cool, and collect but she couldn't stop the blush that lit up her cheeks whenever he stroked her hair or pressed his face against her neck. She shivered to feel the heat of his breath against her skin and that reaction always made him hold her tighter.

She lay in his arms now, fingertips tracing little circles along his back. His chin rest onto of her head as his hand stroked idly up and down her arm. Neither could deny enjoying these private moments, having someone to hold.

--

She was behind him when he woke up the next morning; her arm was draped lazily across his stomach, her fingers absently stoking his abs. It was the first time since the first night that he had woken before her. He couldn't help the grin that spread across his face at the joy he felt waking up beside her. After a moment, he attempted to suppress that feeling. He tried to tell himself that it wasn't her but the feeling of her chest pressed against his back that made him so happy. That way he could tell himself that waking up next to any woman would make him just as happy.

He turned over slowly attempting not to wake her but he'd be damned if she wasn't the lightest sleeper he'd ever met. Her eyes were staring up at him before he'd managed to turn all the way over.

"Sorry." He whispered.

"S' okay." She murmured, snuggling up against his chest.

"I should make breakfast." He said half-heartedly.

"Can it wait?"

He was shocked by the question. He shouldn't be but he was. He wasn't shocked by how happy it made him that she wanted him to stay. He knew he shouldn't but how often was it that he had a woman wanting to linger in bed with him.

"Yeah, it can wait."

--

Jean had been staring at the door for what felt like hours. It was stupid but he refused to go to bed. He would wait up until she came to him.

Another week had passed.

He wasn't sure what happened but at some point in the week she had reverted into herself. He had a feeling she was feeling guilty about how close they were getting and all the rules they were probably breaking. She was a good soldier, she didn't like breaking rules or ignoring orders.

She hadn't stopped coming to him entirely, she just waited. She came when she thought he was asleep. At this point, he didn't like sleeping by himself. He wanted her snuggled up next to him. So he waited, with his back against the headboard, he waited until he heard her footsteps. As soon as he knew she was on the move he slid down and shut his eyes pretending he'd been sleeping the entire time.

In the other room, Hawkeye knew he wasn't sleeping. He was very good at being almost completely silent in his movements. She knew because of the way he held her, the way his heart beat, and the changes in his breathing.

He breathed a sigh of relief when she crawled in next to him, for a moment his heart would sped up, and then his arms would tighten around her, drawing her close. She loved it. She craved it. And that was why she was sitting in this chair.

With a blanket wrapped around her form, Hawkeye sat in front of the fire in the main room and waited. She needed to return to her logical self. She needed to stop breaking the rules. She needed to start sleeping in her own bed so she could put this petty crush behind her. She felt foolish, like an out of control teenager. Surely, it was being trapped in this cabin together for a little over two weeks that was making them crazy. She'd seen Havoc everyday in the office for years and hadn't felt this magnetic attraction.

She glanced at his door. She wanted to go to him. She returned her eyes to the fire. This had to stop. She looked at her door. She hadn't been in that room since the first week. All her things were in Havoc's room now. She usually showered while he made breakfast. He was a surprisingly talented chef. Her room no longer held any reason for entry except that it was where she should be every night.

Her head made a soft thumping sound as it fell back against the firm arm chair. She knew what she should do and she knew what she was going to do. Getting up from the chair, she went to him.

--

"Would you like a massage?"

Hawkeye turned confused eyes onto Havoc at the random request. She was sitting on the corner of the bed, legs draw up Indian style. She'd been lost in thought when his voice had cut in.

"Uh…" She wasn't sure what to say.

"You just…you look tense…and I dunno…I just wanted to help." Havoc mumbled.

He knew what was bothering her. On top of the guilt of breaking the rules, which a massage wouldn't help, she was beginning to worry about the case. In truth, he was starting feel slightly agitated not hearing anything. They were at almost three weeks and this silence was maddening. They didn't know if anyone else had been murdered. They didn't know if their unit was okay. They didn't know if the Elric brothers were back in Central or somewhere safe so they weren't rushing headlong into danger as they usually did.

Her silence made him nervous. He was just opening his mouth to apologize for being out of line when she crawled to the center of the bed to sit next to him.

"Okay." She whispered.

He had to fight to keep the shock and a huge grin from showing on his face.

"Okay, well, uh, lay down." He instructed, shifting off to the side so that she could lay in the center of the bed.

Once she was lying down, he placed his hands on her shoulders and began to apply gentle pressure. Her eyes lids fluttered closed and a soft smile curved his lips. There was no worry in her face in moments like these. The beautiful innocence of youth returned to her face when she let her guard down.

His hands moved from her shoulders to travel down her spine. He was meticulous in his work as though trying to prove they hadn't crossed any lines with this activity. He carefully worked away from her spine and stroked all the way to her sides. She tensed briefly when his fingers rested just inches from her breasts.

"You're going to have to relax." He murmured. He was watching her closely trying to determine what she was thinking about. He couldn't tell if she was tensing in anticipation or because she was uncomfortable. He hoped it was the first but he wasn't going to push his luck.

Her shoulders relaxed as she told herself to calm down. Unfortunately, calm was not something that would come easy. This was a bad idea. Letting him put his hands on her hadn't relaxed her, it had lit a fire in her. A part of her wanted him to be daring and throw the rule book out the window. The other part of her, scolded the first for being so wanton.

She sighed and pressed her face further into the pillow she'd grabbed as the massage progressed. She didn't want to be responsible for provoking anything by moaning. It was hard as hell not to though. He had wonderful hands. In fact, she'd been shocked to realize how much the size of them excited her. She'd never really paid attention to how much bigger he was than her. In fact, she'd always thought she'd hate feeling so small in comparison to someone she was involved with but there was something thrilling about being the helpless one.

There was something exciting about how he could wrap a hand around her ankle. She had come to realize in the last couple of weeks that it was incredibly sexy the way he reached for things. She liked watching the way his body moved when he reach up into the high cabinets in the kitchen. She liked it even better when she was standing there and asked him to pull down something she couldn't quite reach. He didn't wait for her to move; he simply leaned over her and pulled the object down. She took secret pleasure in the seconds of contact their bodies made when he was that close.

That short contact was such a little thrill in comparison to how she felt now. He worked the middle of her back and a soft sound escaped her. She bit her lip and prayed that he hadn't her. Which was ridiculous, he did have rather sharp ears; that's what made him such a good sniper. That hearing just didn't count for anything when he was sleeping because she was fairly certain he could sleep through a war undisturbed by all the fighting going on around him.

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to battle away the need that was consuming her.

"Jean?" Her voice was barely more than a whisper but he heard her.

He paused, and then pulled his hands away as she turned over to lie on her back.

"What are we doing?" She asked.

The question didn't surprise him. It had been coming for some time now. Despite expecting the question, he had yet to come up with an answer to it.

"I don't know." He whispered, stretching out beside her. He propped his head on the fist of his right hand and let his left rest softly on her flat stomach.

She took in a slow breath, noting how intimate this position was.

"Jean?" She asked again.

He kissed her. He didn't have an answer and anything he came up with wasn't going to be what she wanted to hear. She wanted him to be the voice of reason. She had no desire to play by the rules right now.

He pulled away from her and stared at her face for a moment. She was looking over his shoulder, seemingly lost in thought.

"Stop thinking." He murmured and then kissed her again.

She smiled against his lips. _'Stop thinking.'_ It was bad advice but she wanted to take it. She wanted to, for a moment, escape with him, to stop worrying about all the stupid rules and do what she wanted.

Reaching up, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her. The hand that had been resting on her stomach slid over her skin and was placed on the bed to balance him over her. He shifted to be kneeling over her with one leg between hers and the other on the outside of her left thigh.

She wasted no time reaching for the hem of his shirt and tugging it up. She wanted to feel his skin on hers.

He pulled her tank top up and they broke apart to pull their shirts off. He kissed her neck as his hands slid around to her back to release the clasp of her bra.

She couldn't help smiling as he fumbled absently with the clasp. She loved Havoc for his imperfections. His clumsiness and inability to talk to women drew her to him. She caressed the warm skin of his back and shoulders, making no attempt to rush him. She tilted her head down and dropped a soft kiss on his shoulder and other on his neck.

The clasp popped open and she lay back allowing him to draw the garment off of her body and toss it to the floor.

She reached for him and he came to her. She pressed her body up against his feeling the warmth of his flesh against hers and smiled. Her kiss was full of need as she found his lips again. His hands stroked the sides of her breasts and his thumbs caressed the aroused tips. She squirmed beneath him and lifted her pelvis to press against him.

He groaned and moved his lips to her neck and then her breasts. She rolled her hips again and he reached for her belt.

She was quick to shed her pants along with her panties and then tugged down his pants along with his boxers.

He kissed her to quiet his moan as she touched him for the first time.

"Riza?" His question was breathed softly between panting breaths.

She lay back again, pulling him on top of her. He kissed her softly and then slid into her with ease. She breathed a sigh at the feeling of completion. For so many years, she had rejected the need of a man only occasionally taking a lover to ward off the distractions of desire. It felt right now, in a way it hadn't before.

Tonight she wasn't killing loneliness. She was doing this because she wanted to be with him.

Her breath caught in her throat as the rocking motion of their hips overwhelmed her with its pleasure.

"We really shouldn't be doing this." She mumbled. "Fraternization's against the rules."

He grinned at her. "Some rules are made to be broken, Hawkeye."

She arched beneath him as the tightness within suddenly exploded. She gripped his arms tightly and put forth every effort to silence her scream. If their escort ran in here thinking she was hurt they'd both be court marshaled.

He pressed his face against her neck as he followed her into bliss. Then they lay in each other's arms breathing harshly.

She tried to think of something to say as their breathing slowed but the right words simply wouldn't come to her. He stroked her hair and kissed her forehead.

"Stop thinking." He murmured.

She smiled against his chest and snuggled closer for the night.

--

Riza has lost count of the days. They seemed to pass faster now that sex had become a regular thing between her and her companion. They had become more adventurous and she wondered why no one ever seemed to come check on the scuffles from inside. They had broken several dishes when he'd swept the kitchen table clear to have her. There had been a loud crash when she slammed him against the bedroom door in her rush to undress him.

She had lost herself in the passions he awoke in her. She didn't think of the rules and hardly cared for how long they had been abandoned here. In fact, she half hoped they would never come for her. It would all have to end when they returned.

The thought brought on a tide of sadness. She was in love with him. There was no possible way to deny it. She had even come to accept it. She embraced it. She wanted to be with him like this forever but that wasn't at all logical. The remaining logic in her begged her to be reasonable but she shushed it.

She would pretend for now that this was her forever.

--

"We'll have to end it." He murmured, staring blankly at the letter that had just arrived. Issendai Ren had been caught and shot resisting arrest. Hawkeye was safe.

"We could make it work." She said hopefully. She cursed herself for saying it. She was only supposed to think it. He didn't need to know how deeply she felt for him.

"We could." He whispered.

Her eyes lit up.

"We'd have to be very sneaky. The colonel has a way of knowing things." Jean said.

"We can do it." She persisted.

He gazed at her.

"I love you."

She felt her heart stop. He loved her. She was fighting a losing battle against the tears.

"I love you too." She said.

"We'll make it work." He promised, taking her into his arms.

"It will work." She whispered pressed against him.

"GOT EVERYTHING PACKED?" A man shouted from outside.

She sprang away from him.

"Er, yeah! Just a minute." Jean called.

"We should come back here one day." She said, hoisting her backpack over her shoulders.

"I'd rather take you somewhere warm." He said.

She shook her head. "No, somewhere cold. I think we'll make it plenty warm."

He grinned at her. "You think we can get the colonel to transfer us all out here?"

"It's not like he reads what comes across his desk." She said with a mischievous smile.

Jean stole a kiss and then exited the cabin. Hawkeye grinned. She'd have to thank the colonel for sending her away then she'd have to trick him into moving their unit north. She'd have to tempt him with Olivier. That would be simple enough, the colonel lived to break rules.


End file.
